Posts Tagged ‘IBA’

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Bobolink Scientific Name: Dolichonyx oryzivorus SARA Status: No status; Ontario: Threatened Taxonomic group: Birds Size: 15.2-20.5 cm size, with a wingspan of 27 cm. Males weighs 34-56g and females 29-49g The Bobolink is medium-sized, grassland, song bird. It has a short, pointed tail, and a short, conical bill. During the breeding season, the male’s plumage is very unique and distinctive. Black underneath and white on the shoulders and rump contrasts sharply with the bright yellow patch on the back of its head. In the non breeding season… read more →

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Black tern Scientific Name: Chlidonias niger SARA Status: Not listed; Ontario: Special Concern Taxonomic group: Birds Size: 20 to 26 cm long, with a wingspan of 57-60 cm. Weight of 50-60 g. The Black Tern is a small, dark and fresh water bird. It has a forked tail, straight pointed black bill, slender shape and long, narrow wings. During breeding season, the head is black and chest and wings are grey. In non breeding season, the head and underside are white, wings are grey, and there is a… read more →

Britannia Beach. Yes, we Ottawans have a beautiful beach. Having recently returned from England, I often feel a compulsion to run down to the beach just to see it there. It’s the kind of place you travel to other places to see. This past August, my husband and I were married on the shores of the Ottawa River with grey herring gulls flying overhead. It was a perfect day. After the whole wedding etc, I realized I wanted to give back to the place that gave me so much. Supporting Nature Canada in their Clean-up Ottawa enterprise was just the right thing. In the early hours of the morning, my… read more →

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschenes Ottawa River IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot.” Today meet the: American Eel Scientific Name: Anguilla rostrata SARA Status: Not listed; Ontario: Endangered; Quebec: Likely to be designated Taxonomic group: Fishes Size: Adult females can grow up to 1 m in length; while males are smaller growing up to 0.4 m. The American Eel has a long and serpentine body, with a single fin that extends around the tail to the belly, known technically as the ventral side, and has deeply embedded rudimentary scales. Their lips are thick and the lower jaw it is slightly longer… read more →

Brett Hare was an intern with Nature Canada’s conservation team in the early part of 2013. He spoke with Rick Whitman, Minas Basin Important Bird Area Caretaker, about his role in the IBA Caretaker program. The Active Pass Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is located within the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, which are a small chain of islands between Vancouver and Victoria. Michael Dunn and Mike Hoebel have been co-caretakers at the Active Pass IBA since 2007. The two had known each other previously and were both neighbours to the IBA. “We’re both keen birders” Mike explained. “We’ve been involved in organized bird watching for a long time. “We created… read more →

For some time now, Nature Canada has advocated for a policy we call “putting good things in good places”. This means putting wind energy projects in areas that make sense rather than in areas that would greatly harm local biodiversity including bird and bat populations. So, when Windlectric Inc. proposed to build a wind energy plant in an area well-known for its importance to birds, we decided to write a letter to the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources alongside Nature Ontario to cite our concerns for Amherst Island’s threatened species and habitat. In our letter, we encouraged the Ministry to reject a permit sought by Windlectric Inc. to build a… read more →

Outing: Ottawa City Chase When: Saturday 27 July Where: Glebe Memorial Park Activities: Bird Migration Obstacle Course When many Canadians think of migration, they picture V-shaped flocks of Canada geese. However, at Ottawa City Chase the Nature Canada team painted a very different picture of migration to the City Chase participants who waddled their way through the migration obstacle course. Birds can journey thousands of miles in their annual migrations, though our City Chase participants only had to cross a park field. The obstacle course, which involved holding a ball (or egg) between the knees and hands behind the back to create a duck-like silhouette, had five main points and… read more →

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschênes IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot”. Today meet the: Horned Grebe Scientific Name: Podiceps auritus SARA Status: No status; the Magdalen Island population is listed as Endangered; Ontario: Special Concern; Quebec: Threatened Taxonomic Group: Birds Size: On average a length of 31-38 cm, weighing 300-570g, with a wingspan of 55-64 cm The Horned Grebe gets its name from its yellow “horns” which are actually tufts of feathers just behind the bird’s eyes. The yellow “horns” along with red coloured feathers of the upper chest and neck and black cheeks make up the very distinctive breeding plumage of… read more →

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschenes Ottawa River IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot.” Today meet the: Milksnake Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum SARA Status: Special Concern; Ontario: Special Concern; Quebec: Likely to be designated Taxonomic Group: Serpentes Size: The largest individual on record was 132 cm long, but the typical lengths are between 60 and 90 cm. With beautiful red and white stripes, this slender snake can grow up to a meter long! Atop its white base colour, the Milksnake has reddish-brown splotches surrounded by a black border. Individuals can display a variety of colour shades. For instance, sometimes the Milksnake has a tan, brown,… read more →

Get to know some of the species at risk in the Lac Deschenes Ottawa River IBA with the Species Spotlight, aka “Sp-Spot.” Today meet the: Harlequin Duck. Scientific Name: Histrionicus histrionicus SARA status: Endangered; Quebec: Vulnerable Taxonomic Group: Birds Size: 33-54 cm in size, with a wingspan of 56-66 cm. On average, males weigh less than 700 g and females weigh less than 600 g Bold colour patterns make the Harlequin Duck very recognizable. The males are easy to spot due to their dark bodies, reddish brown under parts, streaks of white on the body and head, and blue accents. Unlike the males, the females are a plain brown-grey colour with patches… read more →